Horoscopes and Travel

~ I’ve never been one to pay much attention to horoscopes, or the alignment of the planets and stars, and their supposed influence on daily life. Having said that, for the past couple of months I have been downloading to my iPad, issues of amNewYork, the free week day New York paper. Since I tend to read each issue from cover to cover, I have also been reading the regular horoscope that pertains to my star sign (LIBRA: Sept.23–Oct.22). To my surprise, a large number of the ‘readings’ seem to be indicating that my forthcoming trip to New York City will be taking place under good auspices.

Here is one from last Monday (the 23rd): “Take advantage of this high-energy cycle. Your confidence grows and so does your luck. You can pretty much accomplish anything. Don’t forget to sleep.”

I just love the ‘Don’t forget to sleep’ comment. Actually, that won’t be a big problem for me. At almost 64 years of age, I have long ago learned to forgo the late night raging party for a good night’s sleep - although I have been known to kick on until one or two in the morning if the party is a really good one!

And since I am writing about horoscopes, here is part of Tuesday’s amNewYork horoscope for Librans: “The spotlight is on you. Stick to your fiscal guidelines. Listen and be respectful. Check carefully for plan changes.”

Yes, the spotlight is on me as I get ready to head to New York City once more. I know some members of my family are excited by my trip, and others are concerned for me. Concerned, because once again I am departing for up to three months, on a solo journey that will hopefully take me across America, and maybe even into Canada.

As for ‘stick to fiscal guidelines’, you can be sure I will be doing that. I am on a tight budget, and I will need to monitor my expenses very closely throughout my travels. In fact, I am restricted to a budget of around $1000 per week – or $142/day. That is not a lot of money. There will be times when that money will have to pay for accommodation, food, transport, entertainment and activities, and other daily needs. The only way I can do this is because I am spending three weeks rent free in a New York apartment, and also because I will be visiting and staying with extended family members during my trip.

Then there is the advice to ‘Check carefully for plan changes,’. So far so good though, and I certainly don’t anticipate any major changes to affect my plans at least during for the first few weeks of my trip. Having said that, I have now booked and paid for six or seven events, and any number of things could mess up my plans to attend them. The biggest one being the fickle New York weather. Most of the events I have booked require me to be outdoors. Either on the water (two cruises); two baseball games, and one visit to the National September 11 Memorial.

As all New Yorkers know, the only way to really experience the city is on foot – at street level, and I intend to do a lot of walking around the city. I have mapped out several days for exploratory excursions at Coney Island, Staten Island, Queens, and numerous Manhattan neighbourhoods, all of which could be postponed or even cancelled if the weather demands it. But then that possibility is all part of the joy of travel. I have allowed plenty of ‘free’ time so that I can reschedule some of my plans if needed, but mostly I will just press on regardless and make the most of my time, in arguably the most exciting city on the planet.

I can hardly wait.

Finally, Tuesday’s horoscope also advised Librans to, ‘Listen and be respectful.’

Amen to that. I firmly believe that when I travel, I do so as a guest of the people and country I am visiting. As such, I always try to listen and be respectful whenever I meet and talk to the locals. I am there to listen and learn. To observe and appreciate. And to share in their customs and traditions.

No, I don’t normally pay much attention to horoscopes, but just out of interest, I will keep a watching brief on them over the next few days and weeks, and see how their predictive messages play out in real life.